I know there is a conscious effort not to "overestimate" snow totals, but it is getting somewhat ridiculous. I pulled this off another board.

Jay Peak - 18"
Burke - 9"
Smugglers' Notch - 14"
Stowe - 15"
Bolton - 10"
Mad River Glen - 13"
Sugarbush - 8"
Middlebury Snowbowl - 10"
Pico - 11"
Killington - 13"
Suicide Six - 10"
Ascutney - 18"
Okemo - 13"
Bromley - 12"
Magic - 10"
Stratton - 12"
Mount Snow - 14"

Other than the official SB report, everyone I've heard from had the mtn getting significantly more than 8". More in line with what MRG reported (funny how that happens) and consistent with the reports from other ski areas.

It was very windy yesterday. Maybe some of the snow drifted?

I do know that there was a good 8" maybe 10" in my yard yesterday. There seemed quite a bit more over in Northfield/Roxbury.

8-10" was accurate here. Can't say about the others??????????????????

win wrote:

8-10" was accurate here. Can't say about the others??????????????????

I understand where you're coming from but it's as if SB is using a different scale then all it's competitors. I wouldn't condone cheating/lying about snow totals, but my observations, as unscientific as they may be, are that the reported amounts are consistently 1-3" less than what is actually up there. Where is the measurement taken?

It is said that nobody ever complains about getting more than they expected, of something good. That seems not to be the case, here.

I, myself, love being able to say that if the report says 8", you will always find at least 8". Much better than looking for 8" and finding 4". Underpromise; Overdeliver.

HowieT2 wrote:

win wrote: 8-10" was accurate here. Can't say about the others?????????????????? I understand where you're coming from but it's as if SB is using a different scale then all it's competitors. I wouldn't condone cheating/lying about snow totals, but my observations, as unscientific as they may be, are that the reported amounts are consistently 1-3" less than what is actually up there. Where is the measurement taken?

As a consumer....

I think accuracy is key.

Why boast an extra 3" of drifting snow that isn't there?

I am with Lostone on this one. I just want the honest scoop. If it is reported shin deep and I am getting knee shots.....oops on the report ....but giddy up. If you tell me knee deep and I am getting tip shots....very unacceptable

HowieT2 wrote:

win wrote: 8-10" was accurate here. Can't say about the others?????????????????? I understand where you're coming from but it's as if SB is using a different scale then all it's competitors. I wouldn't condone cheating/lying about snow totals, but my observations, as unscientific as they may be, are that the reported amounts are consistently 1-3" less than what is actually up there. Where is the measurement taken?

Sugarbush and MRG seem to be on track with each other.

MRG: 167 " - 228 "
SB: 225"

I guess you might say that Sugarbush is taller and if SB took a measurement at the top you might expect more than MRG's 228" upper measurement. But they are pretty much spot on.

I don't think the undereporting has any material effect on skiers like us. What's the difference if there's 8" reported when there's actually 12. But I think it does make a difference to the casual ski consumer. When they see consistently higher snow totals at other areas, they're going to assume those areas get more snow.
Gotta run but this from NWS
WIDESPREAD ACCUM SNOWS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THESE
LOCNS INTO THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS APPEARS REASONABLE AS
SETUP HAS MANY ANALOGS FOR HEAVY ACCUM SNOWS ACROSS OROGRAPHICALLY
FAVORED TERRAIN ALONG THE WRN SLOPES OF THE NRN GREEN MTNS.

Peak Day (10/11) prediction said 302" to be expected this season. I may have undershot again this year, but I think for that I will be forgiven.

HowieT2 wrote:

I don't think the undereporting has any material effect on skiers like us. What's the difference if there's 8" reported when there's actually 12. But I think it does make a difference to the casual ski consumer. When they see consistently higher snow totals at other areas, they're going to assume those areas get more snow. Gotta run but this from NWS WIDESPREAD ACCUM SNOWS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THESE LOCNS INTO THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS APPEARS REASONABLE AS SETUP HAS MANY ANALOGS FOR HEAVY ACCUM SNOWS ACROSS OROGRAPHICALLY FAVORED TERRAIN ALONG THE WRN SLOPES OF THE NRN GREEN MTNS.

Weekend report looks nice!

What other areas? Stowe and Jay get more snow than Sugarbush. To the extent they are reporting more snow, it can be true. Killington says 220" for the year. Was that an area you were thinking about?

Patrol calls in the snow depth in the morning when they get up and then we update it a 1pm when we do snow plan. We report Summit, Mid and base on the web snow report. LP can differ from ME and both from MRG, so we really try to be as accurate as possible and if anything do err on the conservative! That's just the way we approach it! It is interesting and I think revealing that we and MRG are so close in ytd totals.

I have to agree that I always feel that the Bush gives and accurate unembellished total which I appreciate. I've been burned by the Jay Cloud before and was not happy to find 18 inches turn into 1 inch of windblown ice even in the woods. Perhaps they're on the metric system and don't know how to convert. After a few oil cans of Labatt Blue I might also have some troubles.